Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

End of sidings/spurs?

2707 views
22 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
End of sidings/spurs?
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 27, 2005 8:42 PM
What is normally put at the end of sidings? I know that in Britain, there are buffers. I have seen some people just put a pile of ballast/coal at the end of the siding, and I also have some Atlas bumpers. But I don't really like the look of the Atlas bumpers. I'm just wondering, what else is used? And what do you use on your layout?
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: San Jose, California
  • 3,154 posts
Posted by nfmisso on Sunday, March 27, 2005 8:53 PM
a stack of ties, also take a look at these:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=Track&scale=H&manu=&item=&keywords=bumper&instock=Q&split=300&Submit=Search

a real Hayes bumper
Nigel N&W in HO scale, 1950 - 1955 (..and some a bit newer too) Now in San Jose, California
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 27, 2005 9:11 PM
Wheel stops, a bumper, a couple of ties, a stack of ties, a pile of dirt.
  • Member since
    April 2004
  • From: Connecticut
  • 724 posts
Posted by mondotrains on Sunday, March 27, 2005 9:19 PM
Hey Captain,
I like the end-of-track bumpers that Walther's makes in kit form. You get enough pieces to make 12 bumpers and they only take a few minutes to make all 12....they are real easy. They are plastic and cost $7.99 for the 12 from most dealers. In fact, I was just going to order another set of 12 along with some other stuff from www.hobbylandinc.com.

Hope this helps.
Mondo

Mondo
  • Member since
    November 2001
  • From: US
  • 732 posts
Posted by Javern on Sunday, March 27, 2005 10:05 PM
a pile of ballast
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Athens, GA
  • 549 posts
Posted by Dough on Sunday, March 27, 2005 10:20 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by drephpe

Wheel stops, a bumper, a couple of ties, a stack of ties, a pile of dirt.


Ditto
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Redding, California
  • 1,428 posts
Posted by Train 284 on Sunday, March 27, 2005 10:30 PM
A pile of ballast, dirt, cross ties bumpers, bumper.

Matt
Matt Cool Espee Forever! Modeling the Modoc Northern Railroad in HO scale Brakeman/Conductor/Fireman on the Yreka Western Railroad Member of Rouge Valley Model RR Club
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 27, 2005 10:38 PM
The ones at Grand Central Terminal are my favourites!
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 27, 2005 11:33 PM
There was an article in a recent MRR showing how to make a bumper from a piece of rail and brass flatstock. It did require soldering, but epoxy or CA may would work.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 28, 2005 12:22 AM
Just took this on the weekend, it is a real common site around here.
A slab of concrete and some ballast. I have seen the Hayes bumper
where it seem's to matter more, when behind the end of track is a
building or some other important object.



Chris
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 28, 2005 5:39 AM
i use a cliff edge







na... just kidding. I use these things made by hornby for my ho. They are a bit like what is used in the picture posted by TorinoGT390.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 28, 2005 7:24 AM
SOmetimes there is nothing there. almost always is something though. I make all my Bumpers out of Old peices of Atlas Flex Track ties.
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Elgin, IL
  • 3,677 posts
Posted by orsonroy on Monday, March 28, 2005 7:55 AM
Usually, I add nothing, just like the real railroads do. If there is a danger of a car rolling off the end of the track and fouling up a road or running into a building, river, etc, I'll add a bumper, based on what my favorite prototype used. Usually, Hayes wheel stops or the full bumper like Nigel posted.

Ray Breyer

Modeling the NKP's Peoria Division, circa 1943

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Monday, March 28, 2005 8:09 AM
I think it's Greenway Products (PA) or something. They have big concrete bumping posts of a type that were commonly used in larger stations in places where they REALLY wanted the train to stop. I think they're a Pennsy design. They look great at the track ends at my Union Station!
They also have several stacks of ties cast in plaster that would make a better looking "bumper" than plastic flex track ties.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 28, 2005 8:43 AM
the difinitive answer: Anything and everything that could stop a rolling car.
  • Member since
    October 2003
  • From: oregon
  • 885 posts
Posted by oleirish on Monday, March 28, 2005 9:00 AM
I use wheel stops,I cut little tri-angles out of plastic stock,then CA them to the track ends,then paint them yellow.Any thing ulse can bang up couplers.And I hate re-placeing the little springs in KEDEE couplars.

[:)]OLE'IRISH
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 4,115 posts
Posted by tatans on Monday, March 28, 2005 7:49 PM
I've seen ties used but I think they were arranged to form a sort of an X pattern, does anyone remember the exact way this was done ? I saw a lot used ,so it seems to fit a standard pattern, any help??
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 28, 2005 8:18 PM
Probably so it wouldnt mess up the coupler.
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Monday, March 28, 2005 8:25 PM
I saw one at the end of a temporary siding that was used to park a work train and supplies during double-tracking of the Southern Pacific's Sunset Route through southern Arizona that was nothing more than a couple of upright crossties jammed into the ground to form an "X" shape.
  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Guelph, Ont.
  • 1,476 posts
Posted by BR60103 on Monday, March 28, 2005 9:20 PM
The X shaped crosstie bumpers I've seen are dug into the ballast -- one end goes under a rail and the other end goes over the other rail. Second one is placed the other way.
The common one is a metal contraption with a big casting to meet the coupling. Bend a Peco buffer stop inwards to a scale foot square piece of plastic.
Wheel stops are castings on each rail. The working side is a larger radius than most wheels. I think they're clamped to the rails and will slide a bit if hit hard enough.
The Toronto subway has a tail track that ends at a concrete wall in a cut. They have a huge pile of sand in front of the wall (20 or 30 feet long).

--David

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Colorado Springs
  • 728 posts
Posted by FThunder11 on Monday, March 28, 2005 10:46 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by adrianiu

The ones at Grand Central Terminal are my favourites!
What do they look like?
Kevin Farlow Colorado Springs
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 12:20 AM
I modeled several 10 X 10 pieces of lumber, creosoted, and stacked three high across both tracks with lots of ballast behind them. Simple, effective, and cheap, and could double as a ramp to get stuff onto a flat car.
  • Member since
    October 2002
  • From: Chicago
  • 117 posts
Posted by northwesterner on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:54 PM
nfmisso: Just out of curiosity, where was that photo taken? It looks like the newsprint line under the Chicago Sun-Times building, on the ex-CN&W Carroll Street line.
C&NW - Route of the Kate Shelley

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!